Meta (spider)

Meta is a genus of long-jawed orb-weavers that was first described by Ludwig Carl Christian Koch in 1835. They are often associated with caves, caverns, and recesses, earning some of them the name "cave orbweavers"

Distribution

Spiders in this genus are found worldwide.

Description

Meta species have a carapace slightly longer than wide with eyes in two rows, evenly spaced. The abdomen is long and oval, decorated with spots and silver coloration.

Life style

The inclination of Meta webs varies from vertical to horizontal, most often at a sharp angle to the vertical. The hub is open with widely spaced viscid spirals. Most species spin their webs in shadowy, dark and damp places such as caves and shaded ravines. They are more common at higher altitudes.

Species

, this genus includes 33 species:

Meta abdomenalis Patel & Reddy, 1993 – India
Meta birmanica Thorell, 1898 – Myanmar
Meta bourneti Simon, 1922 – Europe, Georgia, North Africa
Meta bowo Wang, Irfan, Chen & Zhang, 2022 – China
Meta cona Wang, Irfan, Chen & Zhang, 2022 – China
Meta dolloff Levi, 1980 – United States
Meta gyirong Wang, Irfan, Chen & Zhang, 2022 – China
Meta hamata Wang, Zhou, Irfan, Yang & Peng, 2020 – China
Meta hongyuan Wang, Irfan, Chen & Zhang, 2022 – China
Meta japonica Tanikawa, 1993 – Japan
Meta longlingensis Wang, Zhou, Irfan, Yang & Peng, 2020 – China
Meta manchurica Marusik & Koponen, 1992 – Russia, Korea
Meta menardi – Europe, Turkey, Iran
Meta meruensis Tullgren, 1910 – Tanzania, South Africa
Meta mixta O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1885 – Pakistan
Meta monogrammata Butler, 1876 – Australia
Meta montana Hogg, 1919 – Indonesia
Meta nebulosa Schenkel, 1936 – China
Meta nigridorsalis Tanikawa, 1994 – China, Japan
Meta obscura Kulczyński, 1899 – Madeira
Meta ovalis – Canada, United States
Meta qianshanensis C. D. Zhu & S. F. Zh, 1983 – China
Meta serrana Franganillo, 1930 – Cuba
Meta shenae Zhu, Song & Zhang, 2003 – China
Meta simlaensis Tikader, 1982 – India
Meta stridulans Wunderlich, 1987 – Madeira
Meta tangi Wang, Zhou, Irfan, Yang & Peng, 2020 – China
Meta tibet Wang, Irfan, Chen & Zhang, 2022 – China
Meta turbatrix Eugen [von Keyserling|Keyserling], 1887 – Australia
Meta wanglang Wang, Irfan, Chen & Zhang, 2022 – China
Meta weining Wang, Irfan, Chen & Zhang, 2022 – China
Meta yani Wang, Zhou, Irfan, Yang & Peng, 2020 – China
Meta yinae Wang, Zhou, Irfan, Yang & Peng, 2020 – China

Synonyms

include:

Meta americana Marusik & Koponen, 1992 = Meta ovalis
Meta milleri Kratochvíl, 1942 = Meta bourneti Simon, 1922

Dubious names

Nomina dubia include:

Meta nigra Franganillo, 1920